Active clearance control cooling air rail with fingers

Abstract

Arcuate panel includes at least one axially extending panel header with arcuate outer and inner portions. Inner portion includes open portions of axially spaced apart arcuate cooling air spray rails attached to header and in fluid communication with plenum within header. Plurality of axially extending hollow fingers extend axially away from one of the spray rails and impingement spray holes in the spray rails and the fingers. Arcuate overhang may extend axially aftwardly from one of the spray rails and fingers may depend from overhang. An outer casing including axially spaced apart forward and aft casing flanges attached to or integral and monolithic with outer casing may be circumscribed by a hoop of the arcuate panels. The fingers may extend away from one of the spray rails and between nuts screwed on bolts disposed through one of the forward and aft casing flanges.

Accordingly, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is the invention as defined and differentiated in the following claims: 
     
         1 . An arcuate panel comprising:
 at least one axially extending panel header including arcuate outer and inner portions,   the inner portion including open portions of axially spaced apart arcuate cooling air spray rails attached to the header,   the spray rails in fluid communication with a plenum within the header, and   a plurality of axially extending hollow fingers extending axially away from at least one of the spray rails.   
     
     
         2 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising spray holes in the spray rails and the fingers. 
     
     
         3 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising the spray holes being impingement spray holes. 
     
     
         4 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising one of the spray rails including an arcuate overhang extending axially aftwardly from one of the spray rails and the fingers depending radially inwardly from the arcuate overhang. 
     
     
         5 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an annular tube segment connected to the header and open to the plenum. 
     
     
         6 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising the header, the spray rails, the fingers, and the annular tube segment being integral, monolithic, and electroformed together. 
     
     
         7 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising the header, the spray rails, the fingers, and the annular tube segment being electroformed together by electrodeposition. 
     
     
         8 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising one of the spray rails including an arcuate overhang extending axially aftwardly from one of the spray rails and the fingers depending radially inwardly from the arcuate overhang. 
     
     
         9 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising impingement spray holes in the spray rails and the fingers. 
     
     
         10 . The arcuate panel as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 arcuate inner walls spaced radially inwardly of an arcuate outer wall of the outer portion of the header,   the arcuate inner walls extending axially in between the open portions,   the plenum within the header extending radially between the arcuate inner walls and the arcuate outer wall, and   the plenum extending circumferentially between circumferentially spaced apart first and second side walls of the header.   
     
     
         11 . A thermal control assembly comprising:
 a thermal air distribution manifold encircling a portion of an outer casing,   the outer casing including axially spaced apart forward and aft casing flanges,   forward and aft thermal control rings attached to or integral and monolithic with the outer casing,   the manifold including an annular row or hoop of arcuate panels,   each of the arcuate panel including at least one axially extending panel header including arcuate outer and inner portions,   the inner portion including open portions of axially spaced apart arcuate cooling air spray rails attached to the header,   the spray rails in fluid communication with a plenum within the header, and   a plurality of axially extending hollow fingers extending axially away from at least one of the spray rails and between nuts screwed on bolts disposed through bolt holes in one of the forward and aft casing flanges.   
     
     
         12 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising spray holes in the spray rails and the fingers. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising the spray holes being impingement spray holes. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising an annular tube segment connected to the header and open to the plenum. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising the header, the spray rails, the fingers, and the annular tube segment being integral, monolithic, and electroformed together. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising the header, the spray rails, the fingers, and the annular tube segment being electroformed together by electrodeposition. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising impingement spray holes in the spray rails and the fingers. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising one of the spray rails including an arcuate overhang extending axially aftwardly from one of the spray rails and the fingers depending radially inwardly from the arcuate overhang. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 18 , further comprising one or more of the spray rails axially spaced apart from and partially radially coextensive with one or more of the forward and aft thermal control rings. 
     
     
         20 . The thermal control assembly as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising a segmented annular tube including the tube segment of the panels. 
     
     
         21 . The thermal control assembly as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising at least some of the spray holes in the fingers located and oriented to impinge air on the aft casing flange between the nuts screwed on the bolts disposed through the bolt holes in one of the forward and aft casing flanges.